Barrios Technology

by on 2 October 2018in Life Sciences

Barrios Technology, a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), provides Mission Integration and Operations (MI&O) services to Principal Investigators (PIs)/Payload Developers (PDs) for missions flown to the International Space Station. For over 20 years, we have executed planning and operations for payloads; worked with PIs/PDs to develop effective procedures for on-orbit operations; and developed ground systems software and designed/tested/flown/operated/sustained payloads aboard the Space Station.

Our reputation for excellence is stellar. It is the reason we have been a successful prime contractor, providing services to the Government and commercial providers. Barrios brings into the commercial space market the same focus, quality and excellence we have applied to growing our company since 1980.

Contact Barrios to understand how our expertise in Space Station manifesting, Certification of Flight Readiness (CoFR), crew time management/optimization, and communicating scientific research benefits to stakeholders through social media can work for your science experiments!

 

Barrios Research Mission Integration and Operations (MI&O) Services:

  • Payload Requirements Development/Verification
  • Ground Systems Software Development
  • Procedures Development
  • Interface for PIs/PDs to NASA ISS Program Research and Payload Integration Teams
  • Payload Manifesting Process
  • Payload Safety Verification Support
  • Certificate of Flight Readiness (CoFR) Endorsements for ISS
  • Flight Hardware Turn-Over Support
  • Commercial Launch Vehicle cargo launch site integration (initial, late, and final load)
  • Real-Time Flight Operations Support
  • Sample/Hardware Return Process Support

Sierra Nevada Corporation

by on 26 September 2018in Life Sciences, Technology Development

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is a trusted leader in solving the world’s toughest challenges through advanced engineering technologies in Space Systems, Commercial Solutions, and National Security and Defense. Honored as one of the most innovative U.S. companies in space, SNC’s Space Systems business area designs and manufactures advanced spacecraft and satellite solutions, space habitats and environmental systems, propulsion systems, precision space mechanisms and subsystems, and SNC’s celebrated Dream Chaser® spacecraft. With 30 years of space heritage working with the U.S. government, commercial customers, and the international market, SNC has participated in more than 450 successful space missions and delivered 4,000+ systems, subsystems and components around the world.

 

Propulsion & Environmental Systems

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) provides propulsion and human environmental solutions for launch, transport, low-earth orbit, and extended planetary and long duration applications in space.

 

Propulsion Systems

We can rapidly apply the patented, low cost and high performance VORTEX™ engines to smaller Reaction Control System(RCS) solutions as well as upper stage engine needs. With a wide range of propellant combinations, we can off­er versatility to suit the specific application. SNC has successfully developed products from RCS systems and large abort engines to successful flight-like system tests. Our rocket engine test facilities enable rapid design and test development to accelerate working solutions in a very short timeline.

Core Products & Subsystems

  • In-space propulsion (0.1 to 1,000 lbf thrust)
  • Upper stage engines (to 100,000 lbf thrust)
  • Boost stage engines (in development)
  • Advanced propellants & thrusters
  • O2 & H2 production from water
  • O2 & H2O production from planetary resources

 

Environmental Systems

SNC can provide full life support system solutions or focused subsystem solutions related to water management and recovery, air system monitoring/control and revitalization, thermal management, lighting and payload accommodations. We have a wide range of solutions appropriate for short duration transit to long duration planetary habitation. Our unique capabilities stem from decades of research in environmental control in partnership with NASA and include successful operational systems such as VEGGIE and Advanced Plant Habitat systems on the International Space Station, which are currently helping scientists and engineers understand how to utilize plants as an integral solution space for long-duration travel.

 

Environmental Control & Life Support Systems

  • Air revitalization & CO2 removal, quality monitoring & control
  • Atmospheric temperature, humidity & pressure control
  • Water reclamation & processing, quality monitoring & control
  • Food production
  • Waste processing & management
  • Environmental LED lighting

Bio Production Systems

  • Controlled Bio Production systems
  • Specialty culture & root support systems
  • Efficient food production systems
  • Full sun & specialty LED lighting systems
  • Spider silk & protein molecule production
  • Rodent & biological science systems

 

VEGGIE

SNC continues to push the boundaries for sustainable long-term missions by advancing plant growth in space. The vegetable production system (VEGGIE) was developed for NASA and is currently growing food on the International Space Station. This provides astronauts the opportunity to periodically enjoy various kinds of fresh lettuce and vegetables while also giving scientists key data about growing plants in space.

 

Advanced Plant Habitat

SNC is also involved in the cutting-edge, automated “space garden,” Advanced Plant Habitat (APH), currently on the International Space Station. Jointly designed by SNC and NASA engineers, APH has 180 sensors monitoring temperature, humidity, light levels, CO2 levels and many more – critical to bioscience research.

 

Astro Garden™

We are working on a larger and more advanced plant growth system with our Astro Garden. We are developing a way to grow a larger volume of food while saving as much space, weight and power as possible.

SpacePharma

by on 4 January 2018in Life Sciences

 

SpacePharma’s Advanced Labs (SPad) are simplified, accessible, affordable, end-to-end (E2E) microgravity solutions that can be controlled in near real-time via a web based Scientist Front End (SFE) interface.

 

SpacePharma customers can expect:

  • Scientific support throughout the grant writing and reporting processes
  • Technical guidance for experiment protocol design
  • Personalized modification of our SPad system
  • Engineering integration
  • Feasibility study assistance
  • Science team hardware training
  • Ground test facilities and mission simulations
  • Experiment verification testing
  • Mission management
  • Software/firmware development
  • Payload operations and control center
  • SFE experiment monitoring and management
  • E2E launch and landing service
  • Physical payload integration and de-integration
  • Return of fixed/frozen samples to scientists for post-processing
  • Non-disclosure agreement provisions (according to customer needs)
  • Commercial off the shelf (COT) and tailored product integration

SpacePharma’s SPad Labs have a modular design that is readily adaptable to the specific needs of each researcher. General
SPad capabilities include:

  • Fluorescent and/or bright-field microscopy: 5x, 10x, 20x and 40x
  • Spectrophotometry with selectable wavelengths for fluorescence imaging
  • Image and video capture (Full high-speed HD video, time-lapse, full resolution images)
  • Automated fluid handling components (pumps, reservoirs, etc.)
  • Dynamic temperature control:
    • Bio -20°C to +40°C and 5% CO2
    • Bio-chemical -20°C to 60°C
  • Microfluidic chip integration:
    • Customizable microfluidic chips available per customer requests
      • Up-to 8 distinct chip designs with 240 experiments
    • Capable of simultaneous delivery of multiple reagents
    • Reagents flow rate range: 10-500 µl/min

SpacePharma is an active player in the commercial space sector with experience placing scientific research platforms:

  • Aboard the International Space Station
  • In orbit within nanosatellite laboratories
  • Aboard parabolic flights

SpacePharma’s Advanced Labs have been used to study a wide range of topics to date including:

  • Investigation of human organ-on-a-chip systems in microgravity
  • Protein crystallization
  • Cancer biology
  • Cell senescence and aging
  • Pharmaceutical chemistry
  • Microbiology

Emerald City Initiatives, Inc.

by on 29 August 2017in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Technology Development

ECI is an experienced provider of human rated and commercial engineering services to facilitate access to space for Principal Investigators and Scientists.  ECI provides engineering, operations, safety and science products and services to allow utilization of the ISS National Lab for micro-gravity science investigations and technology development.  ECI efficiently applies customer commercial approaches and internal quality processes.  ECI can benefit any science investigation team by collaborating at any point in the product life cycle.

Primary Services and Capabilities 

  • Single point of contact to Science Teams for planning/execution of ISS activities and integration
  • Systems Engineering and Integration for the entire Product Life Cycle
  • Requirement analysis, Interfaces, ConOps, Safety and Verification/Validation
  • Mechanical and electrical design using latest tools for development and integration into ISS
  • Technology Development and Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) maturation
  • Prototype/Product Development/Demonstration (DDT&E) planning and execution
  • Specialty engineering reach back for niche areas
  • Project Support (Scheduling, Risk Management) to monitor and measure progress

ISS Certified Hardware

ECI utilizes existing ISS Certified Hardware to accomplish your science objectives.  We can also develop customized hardware and software to accomplish your unique science and operational goals.

Research Support Services

ECI provides experience to develop Flight and Ground operational products to satisfy science needs and ISS requirements.  Provides easy access to available ground facilities for science processing, on-orbit and post landing activities.  Coordination/outreach includes…

  •  Flight Operations/On-orbit experiment monitoring
  • Post Flight Support
  • Science Hardware return coordination

Labs, Shops and Test Facilities

ECI has immediate access and reach back to various Labs, Shops and Test Facilities to support all development phases for hardware/software, verification/validation, safety and flight certification.  These include:

  • Hardware/software providers, manufacturers and test facilities/labs
  • Extensive understanding of science, engineering, safety testing (Development, Qualification, Acceptance, Proto-Flight) and can execute efficient approaches to assure success
  • Supplier Quality Surveillance and Manufacturing Oversight
[caption id="attachment_9225" align="aligncenter" width="288"] Ring-Sheared Drop (RSD) Experiment
[Currently under development][/caption]

Leidos Innovations Corporation

by on 15 August 2017in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Technology Development

Leidos LEO Commercial Services leverages over 50 years of human space flight experience allowing us to provide tailorable solutions for the successful implementation of your mission. With more than 300 engineers, analysts, integrators and technicians supporting the International Space Station today, we have the tools and knowledge to get you precisely what you need.

Pre-Flight Capabilities:

  • Mission definition and technical planning
  • Requirements definition and verification
  • Hardware design, prototype, test, manufacture and Certification of Flight Readiness (CoFR)
  • Packaging, photography, labeling, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), foam, manifest, and logistics
  • Crew/simulation training and procedure writing options
  • Controlled storage areas available
  • Structural, thermal, material, safety, reliability, battery, and export/import experts

In-Flight Capabilities:

  • Command and control services
  • Real-time and near real-time execution in the mission environment
  • Implementation and management of mission objectives
  • Research data acquisition and management

Post-Flight Capabilities:

  • Hardware/sample retrieval and return
  • Data analytics

Key Attributes:

  • AS9100D certified processes
  • Flexible contracting mechanisms
[caption id="attachment_9212" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Leidos personnel perform a ground simulation of an on-orbit pulmonary experiment.[/caption]

Intraterrestrial Fungus Grown in Space (iFunGIS)

by on 21 April 2017in Life Sciences

Principal Investigator: Dr. Heath Mills
Affiliation: Space Technology and Advanced Research Systems Inc. (STaARS)
This project has two objectives: Goal 1 seeks to validate a fast-track hardware capability for molecular biology projects; Goal 2 will determine at a molecular level the response of a deep subsurface fungus, Penicillium chrysogenum, to growth in microgravity. This fungal species produces a novel penicillin-like antibiotic natural product, giving the fungus high commercial value. Organisms respond to environmental changes by altering their metabolic processes in an effort to regulate internal biochemical conditions. Previous results have shown that organisms have different metabolic responses to microgravity, including alterations in growth rate and virulence. Thus, the aim of this project is to determine the metabolic impact of space flight on this novel fungal species. The production and effectiveness of the novel penicillin-like antibiotic produced by the fungus will also be characterized following exposure to microgravity.

Tympanogen, LLC- Wound Healing

by on 21 April 2017in Life Sciences

Principal Investigator: Dr. Elaine Horn-Ranney
Affiliation: Tympanogen, LLC
This project seeks to improve the process of antibiotic release from a novel patch that can treat military combat wounds and reduce the occurrence and severity of sepsis, or systemic inflammation. This novel patch contains a hydrogel with inherent antimicrobial properties that can promote healing of a wound while acting as a scaffold for regenerating tissue. Reduced fluid motion in microgravity will allow for more precise studies of this hydrogel behavior and its controlled release from the patch.

Spaceflight Effects on Vascular Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cell Processes

by on 21 April 2017in Life Sciences

Principal Investigator: Dr. Josephine Allen
Affiliation: University of Florida
The goal of this work is to elucidate the mechanism of vascular cell damage in the space environment by exposing vascular cells to space flight. Changes in transcriptomics of vascular cells in space compared to those in a ground based study will be assessed. The insights gained will contribute to a greater understanding of Cardiovascular Disease as well as opening new lines of research and/or treatment option to study and/or repair these damaging molecular mechanisms.